Students only limitations are themselves

A student’s ability to make the most out of self-directed learning
(SDL) is only limited by the restrictions they impose on themselves, says
Oatlands English teacher Erin Maxwell.

“They can become
demoralised and reliant on others,” says Erin. “A self-directed student should
be open-minded, organised and passionate about new projects in order to
facilitate a more confident approach to their learning.”

One of the key
elements of SDL is that it helps students become self-sufficient. Erin believes
that as they become more involved in this type of learning students will be
become more aware of their individual abilities, and will put them in good
stead for a the life where they are learning all the time.

Erin points out that
all the tools are there. It’s a matter of students taking the opportunities
that are presented to them.

“Students should use
the physical environment, facilities and equipment that is available to them as
a resource to enable them to set clear goals and control the pace and direction
of their work,” says Erin. “Students can often become too reliant on extrinsic
motivation to encourage them to finish tasks, as they perceive external awards or benefits as the goal of completing an activity.

For teachers, it’s not
enough to just encourage SDL, they are a vital part in the other overall goal
when encouraging students.

“One challenge we face
as teachers is trying to instill in our students the intrinsic desire to learn
and to independently expand their knowledge and understanding of a variety of
topics,” she says. “This is a difficult mindset to promote, however it is the
true test of every teacher is imprint a love of learning onto our students that
in turn rouses a sense of self-direction through passion and curiosity.”

Finally, when it comes
to technology, most teachers are optimistic with a few caveats thrown in, yet
Erin believes students have never been luckier with the amount of online
information available to them.

“Technology has continued to energise and
revolutionise the teaching process, going above and beyond previous
expectations,” says Erin. “This is particularly apparent in its ability to facilitate
self-directed learning. This technology can certainly be used to implement
programs that allow students to independently tackle activities and subjects
that may not have been available to them in the past. With online content and
information at their fingertips, a self-directed student has more individual
access to knowledge and understanding than ever before.”